Meant To Be (Pendleton Manor 1)

“Are you going to marry her?” Sophy asked him. “I seem to remember she was supposed to be Harry’s bride once.” She remembered Lady Felicia being a guest of Sir Arbuthnot. She also remembered being told the lady had seemed more interested in Adam than Harry.

“Harry might have caught himself a wealthy wife, but my father still wants me to do my part,” Adam said with a smirk. He turned and looked over his shoulder to a theatre box opposite, and Sophy followed his gaze. Lady Felicia was seated with some other guests, but her attention was on Adam and Sophy. She recognised her now as the woman she had seen with Adam at previous events this Season. Felicia’s eyes were green like a cat, and right now they were narrowed in displeasure.

“Let me show you something,” Adam said, and leaned closer, and placed his hand on Sophy’s shoulder. He glanced over at Felicia again, as if to see the effect that had on her, and shot Sophy a gratified smile. “You see? She’s jealous. She might hate me, but at the same time she doesn’t want anyone else to have me.”

Sophy giggled. “Oh dear.”

“Yes, quite.” Adam raised his eyebrows at Felicia, outstaring her. She turned away, lifting her chin in a haughty manner. After that, Adam seemed to tire of the game, and turned to James, who had been conversing politely with the two Harding girls.

“I see your nose is as straight as ever,” Adam said.

James gave a laugh. “Yes, it healed nicely.” He hesitated. “Perhaps you should warn your brother.”

Adam shrugged. “He’s old enough to know what he’s doing.” After a few more words he said his goodbyes and returned to his box. Lady Felicia pretended not to notice as Adam sprawled in his chair beside her, but Sophy noted how his gaze caressed the other woman’s averted cheek. However much he might claim to dislike Felicia and she to hate him, Sophy could not help but wonder if their association was quite so straightforward.

She turned back to James. “What happened to your nose?” she said curiously. “What did Adam mean by that?”

James frowned. “Lady Evelyn’s brother happened to it. He didn’t take kindly to my error of judgment with the opera singer, and let me know in no uncertain terms. Oscar has a reputation as a tyrant and he has friends he can call upon whenever he wants to teach someone like me a lesson. The friends were disguised but I knew them.”

“My goodness!”

“They waylaid me on my way home from my club. I can hold my own in a fight, but the odds were against me. Some of the soldiers in Adam’s regiment happened to come upon us and rescued me before more than just my nose suffered.”

Although he made light of it Sophy could see he was still angry.

“How can he get away with such cowardly behaviour?” she asked, shocked.

“Oscar is very protective when it comes to Evelyn. She can hardly take a step without him making certain her path is clear. I know I hurt and disappointed Evelyn, but I had agreed to stay away from her.”

“You don’t think she knew her brother was going to hurt you?”

He seemed to consider it and then shook his head. “It doesn’t seem like her. But even if she did, I fear there would be little she could have done to stop him.”

The thought of anyone being beaten like that made Sophy feel very uncomfortable. “Perhaps,” she said quietly, “you are better off not marrying her. You might find yourself looking over your shoulder more often than not.”

James nodded faintly. “Well, it isn’t my problem now. Baillieu will be the one looking over his shoulder.”

She wanted to ask him more but didn’t feel as if she had the right to do so. They had already spoken of their mutual heartbreak and she didn’t wish to revisit it.

“I’m glad your nose healed,” she said instead, with a teasing smile. “It is a very nice nose.”

He seemed surprised, and then smiled back at her, looking much younger than usual. “Thank you.”

“And I think I can promise you that my grandmother and Sir Geoffrey are unlikely to have you set upon, and if they did you could probably outrun them. You will be safe in my company.”

This time he laughed aloud. “And I can promise you that they will have no reason to do so. I will never hurt you again, Sophy. Believe me.”

“I’d like to.”

His sincerity warmed her, and to her surprise Sophy found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

Chapter 21

HARRY

Adam hadn’t come home last night, and Harry missed him. Lately his brother seemed to be spending more time in the town house when he wasn’t at the barracks, and this morning he wasn’t in his bed. The Earl of Streatham had sent an invitation for luncheon, and Harry knew how particular the man was. If Adam didn’t attend then the already difficult subject of a marriage between him and Lady Felicia would be in jeopardy.

There was a time when Harry would have thought Adam would be glad to be rid of the Earl’s only daughter, but recently he’d begun to wonder if there was more than simple animosity on both sides. Adam seemed to have lost his taste for the endless parade of women leaving his bedchamber every morning. That was unusual in itself, but the easy going Adam had also been distinctly out of sorts of late.